I absolutely love running my own business, and I know that I would not be able to do so if I did not have my daily well-being practices at the opening and close of each day.
Running a business can feel very full, with many hats to wear, and I feel that I have a responsibility to myself, my clients and to the wonderful work that we co-create to be putting practices in place that ensure that I approach my work from a place of balance and bursting with creativity! These early morning practices help me to ground, to centre, to settle my central nervous system, to be more creative, to be inspired, to be better organised and to be happy 😊
1. Good morning beach (rain or shine)
The practice I start my day with is … out of bed, get dressed and off Adie and I go to our lovely Paekakariki beach. We are more often than not alone on the beach at this time. We walk or run in silence for about 50 minutes — with a good many sticks and stones thrown for my sweet Adie to chase. In the warmer months we swim in the ocean on these early morning excursions also. There is a big log on our beach where, each morning, I climb up and do my yoga shoulder and upper back openers — creating space for the day that lies ahead.
Since I started my own business, not one work day morning has begun without this spacious time in nature as it’s beginning. Its not about having great motivation or will-power (I do have those traits also!), it is more about a deep love of starting my days in this manner. Being with nature, alone in silence, the fresh sea air, the ever changing water, the sand, the hills alongside … so much gratitude for all of this. It is the same coast as the peninsula where we once lived in spacious solitude, and it feels so very connected to me.
Good morning Adie! She’s very loveable and loves our morning time on the beach as much as me:
2. Extra time to ‘see’
Some mornings I have my camera with me (Fuji Xt-2 mirrorless makes this light and easy!). I don’t set a rule of ‘I must have my camera on me’ or ‘I must create photographs today’ — I don’t have any ‘musts’. Photographing in nature is a collaboration between nature and myself. But I shall just say that once the lens cap comes off, I do become so immersed in seeing in this manner that it is very hard for me to stop! I could happily have hours go by spent immersed in colour, texture and feeling in this manner.
3. Hip openers
When Adie and I return home it is time to shower, and then we head up to our creative studio where I have a practice of sitting at a low table so that I can sit crossed legged while I move into the next phase of my morning. Being a yoga practitioner I love to open my hips (release any held tension), at any opportunity and consistency is key.
4. Soul Mood
Now seated cross legged — I work with colour in a meditative manner with a chalk pastel rubbing. I choose the colours that resonate with me in that moment, not over-thinking anything. This chalk rubbing practice is something that we teach within Alamandria. If you haven’t heard about Alamandria and the wonderful meditation-through-colour work we do, please do take a peek at our website here >
My rubbing for the day then sits next to me on my desk, allowing me more time to feel into the colours, to contemplate what I created:
5. Journalling
Over a cup of tea and breakfast, still sitting crossed legged at the little table (with Adie lying under it), I then start my business-journalling for the day. I write one A4 page. It is not a list of what I need to do that day — that is in a different diary (I love lists and journals and diaries!) — instead, this journalling is a means of clearing out my mind, seeing where my mind is at specifically in regards to my business . If you are interested to learn more about journalling for your business, Business Coach Annie Romanos has a wonderful (and free!) week-long journaling for business course. Check out Annie’s site here > (and the sign up for journaling will pop on up for you), or sign up directly for a week of Annie’s Journaling inspiration here >
And now I am all ready to step into my work from a centered, calm, creative and happy space. Now the phone can come on, I move to my lovely big stand up desk (where Adie snores from under it) and I check and respond to my work emails, social media, and then into the day’s creative work I go!
These practices, from rising to checking my email, take me around an hour and a half. This time of day works for me and my life’s rhythms. And then the close of day involves heading back to the beach and a yoga practice in our sweet yoga cabin in the clouds with much upper back opening movement throughout the day to balance the time spent working on a computer.
What well-being practices do you include in your daily routines?